Drought Status
Drought Status
Drought Status
The Arizona Drought Monitoring Technical Committee confers weekly to advise the U.S. Drought Monitor authors on the current drought conditions in Arizona, and makes recommendations about the position of the drought boundaries for Arizona. The U.S. Drought Monitor is the official record of drought for Federal drought relief claims. Information used by the MTC in advising the Drought Monitor authors includes numerous drought indices, precipitation and stream flow data, and impacts data. Every Thursday, the Drought Status web page automatically updates with the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map of Arizona.
Monthly Drought Status Summary: AUGUST 2021
Most of the state remained at or above average for precipitation in August, with much of central and southern Arizona receiving nearly 200% of normal August precipitation. Areas along the Mogollon Rim and northern Arizona, including Flagstaff, Prescott, and St. Johns, are at or above normal amounts of precipitation for the water year. August was the 16th wettest for Tucson, building the 3rd wettest monsoon season to date for Tucson.
Fire restrictions were removed over State Trust land. There was much improvement to ranching stock ponds and forage. Normally dry channels in southern Arizona experienced flow over several days, and small amounts of inflow were recorded in some reservoirs, notably with the Salt River reservoirs.
The productive monsoon season improved many ecological and agricultural drought levels across Arizona and eliminated all areas of Exceptional (D4) drought in the state. Most of the state is now at Moderate (D1) drought (47%). Small areas of Mohave, La Paz, Cochise, and Coconino counties, and moderate areas of Apache and Navajo counties remain in Extreme (D3) drought conditions. Abnormally dry conditions (D0), which is technically not considered drought, now encompass over 13% of the state.
La Niña conditions were already starting to develop over the Pacific Ocean with a 75% chance of a mature La Niña phase during Winter 2021-2022. A winter La Niña typically results in drier than average conditions across Arizona.
This report was prepared by the Arizona Drought Monitoring Technical Committee on September 13, 2021. Arizona's short-term drought status map is updated during the first week of each month.
Quarterly Drought Status Update: APRIL-JUNE 2021
The long-term drought has intensified and expanded across the state. Severe (D2) drought spread across southern La Paz County and southeastern Cochise County, with little Moderate (D1) drought remaining anywhere across the state.
Extreme (D3) drought spread through southeastern Yuma County, southwestern Maricopa County, southern Navajo and Apache Counties, north-central Cochise County, and much of Santa Cruz County.
Exceptional (D4) drought expanded into much of Mohave County, western Coconino County, north-central Navajo and Apache Counties, with some deepening in Pinal, Graham, and Greenlee Counties.
A La Niña Watch has been issued for the upcoming fall and winter, potentially resulting in another cool season of below average precipitation.
This report was prepared by the Arizona Drought Monitoring Technical Committee, July 13, 2021. Arizona's long-term drought status map is updated quarterly and the next update in early October, it will reflect the conditions of July, August and September. The long-term drought status for each watershed is determined by comparing the precipitation and streamflow percentiles for the past 24, 36, 48 and 60 months to a 40-year historical record.